“爱是不加害与人的,所以爱就完全了律法。” - 罗 13:10
如果我们真的彼此相爱,我们可以忘记其他所有的诫命。因为,爱的确完全了律法。
爱是一个道德原则。一个涵盖了世界上所有道德活动的原则。还有一些其他的道德原则,例如要圣洁,行公义,勿伤害,等等。这些原则适用于所有的时间和地点。我们绝不能说,“不,在这里我不需要去爱”或“在那里我不需要行公义。”道德原则适用于所有情况。
我们爱一个人时,就不需要被提醒不要偷他们的东西,或对他们撒谎,或欺骗他们。这样的提醒对爱别人的人来说几乎是无礼的。保罗说,“爱是不加害与人的”。但不加害,或仅仅遵守律法,是不够的。只有基督为我们献上生命时所显明的完全的爱,才充份满足了律法的要求。基督除去了违犯律法的诅咒,赐给我们永生。
像耶稣那样去爱,意味着我们将神自我牺牲的爱融入我们的心中。在基督里,神不仅向我们示范了对律法的完全顺服,也示范了完全的爱。
而只有基督彻底活出了这种完全的爱。生活在这个悖逆世界上的我们,仍然在利己和损人的欲望中挣扎。由于我们依然活在这种张力中,我们便仍然需要律法。
祷告
神啊,我们若伤害了我们的邻舍,请赦免我们。帮助我们真正地爱你和爱他人,请用你自己藉着主基督向我们显明的完全之爱来引导我们。阿们。
罗马书 13:8-14
8凡事都不可亏欠人,唯有彼此相爱,要常以为亏欠。因为爱人的,就完全了律法。
9像那“不可奸淫,不可杀人,不可偷盗,不可贪婪”,或有别的诫命,都包在“爱人如己”这一句话之内了。
10爱是不加害于人的,所以爱就完全了律法。
11再者,你们晓得,现今就是该趁早睡醒的时候,因为我们得救,现今比初信的时候更近了。
12黑夜已深,白昼将近,我们就当脱去暗昧的行为,带上光明的兵器。
13行事为人要端正,好像行在白昼。不可荒宴醉酒,不可好色邪荡,不可争竞嫉妒。
14总要披戴主耶稣基督,不要为肉体安排,去放纵私欲。
Only Love Is Enough
"Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." - Romans 13:10
If we really loved one another, we could forget all the other commandments. For, indeed, love fulfills the law.
Love is a moral principle. A principle covers all the world’s moral activity. There are a few other moral principles, such as be holy, do justice, do no harm, and so on. These principles apply in all times and places. We can never say, “No, I don’t have to love here,” or “I don’t have to do justice there.” In all cases moral principles apply.
When we love someone, we should not need to be reminded not to steal from them, or lie about them, or cheat them. Such reminders are almost impertinent for someone who loves another. Paul says, “Love does no harm to a neighbor.” But doing no harm, or merely observing the law, is not enough. Only the perfect love that Christ showed when he gave his life for ours is sufficient to fulfill the law. Christ removed the curse of lawlessness and has given us everlasting life.
To love as Jesus did means that we incorporate God’s self-sacrificing love into our hearts. In Christ, God showed us not only perfect obedience to the law but perfect love.
And only Christ fully lives out that perfect love. We who live in this hostile world still struggle with desires to make gains for ourselves or to harm others. Since we still live with this tension, we still need the law.
Prayer
God, forgive us when we harm our neighbor. Help us to truly love you and others, guiding us by your own perfect love shown to us through Christ, our Lord. Amen.